Statement From Bodmin Women FC

[Gary Hocking]

 

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

Not the best pitch in the world to take on a lot of fixtures, 7 ladies games Mmmmm dunnaw? 

[Marcus Grose]

Amazed Bodmin had them there in the first place to be honest.Backward thinking club.

[AmberArmy]

44 minutes ago, Monsoon said:

Amazed Bodmin had them there in the first place to be honest.Backward thinking club.

For the money.

The team paid to use the pitch, paid for floodlights if used, paid for food in the clubhouse afterwards and obviously BTFC had all the profit from the bar/teas etc.  

[rvt]

This is a great shame to hear BTFC doesn't want to support ladies football in a time where ladies football is so prominent! Please let me know if I can help in any way. 

Dropship Ladies are looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, we can catch up then!

[Mandy K Aggiemaid]

Congratulations to Bodmin Women on a really positive season for 21/22 on and off the pitch - developing the adult female game from their youth section, finishing 3rd and getting promoted for 22/23 to CWFL Div 1 with a Women's FA Cup entry too. I cannot imagine how disappointed and frustrated their team and everyone who has worked so hard behind the scenes must be with this outcome and news received just 6 weeks before the start of their playing season. There is such a positive growth and vibe around the female game in Cornwall generally which Bodmin Women have been part. The progress and performance around our England Lionesses has raised the profile to another level and we all hope established clubs will look to include and celebrate existing and new female teams. Good luck to Bodmin Women for 22/23 I have no doubt your set up will overcome this and progress forwards. 

[Gary Hocking]

Certainly not a good look for a men’s team to - to all intents and purposes - evict a women’s team at this particular moment in the evolution of the women’s game. And the dreadfully short notice makes it seem particularly heartless and reckless. Imagine the - totally justified - outrage if a private landlord had evicted a men’s team just 6 weeks before the start of a season. 

As has been said above, Bodmin Women only have 7 league games plus a handful of cup games, almost all of which would in any case have been played 6 days before the next scheduled men’s game. 

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

2 hours ago, GaryHocking said:

Certainly not a good look for a men’s team to - to all intents and purposes - evict a women’s team at this particular moment in the evolution of the women’s game. And the dreadfully short notice makes it seem particularly heartless and reckless. Imagine the - totally justified - outrage if a private landlord had evicted a men’s team just 6 weeks before the start of a season. 

As has been said above, Bodmin Women only have 7 league games plus a handful of cup games, almost all of which would in any case have been played 6 days before the next scheduled men’s game. 

Not quite like that buddy.

The critical factor in whether a ladies game goes ahead is dependant on the amount of damage done the day before.

We lost 3 games once with a ladies game on a badly damaged pitch.

But generally you can get them on.

[Gary Hocking]

Don’t disagree with your completely fair point Older, and I’m very familiar with the regular postponement of women’s games because a pitch is unplayable following the previous day’s men’s game but (1) in this case the women have - to all intents and purposes - been evicted to make way for a newly-adopted men’s reserve team, and (2) with only 7 league games plus a few cup games to schedule women’s teams can generally cope with the higher level of postponements that they face as a result of their playing day being a Sunday.

I am trying to be fair-minded, and should be pleased to hear another perspective on these events, but the incredibly short notice that’s been provided here feels, as I said earlier, both heartless and reckless. 

[We Two]

Perhaps the womenfolk that are in any way attached to the men who play for Bodmin, should be informed of the high level of respect that has been shown to the ladies of the Bodmin Womens team.
To suggest that a mere 7 games that could have been delayed until a later date with litte effort if there was a danger of the pitch being unplayable, suggests that that is little more than a weak excuse.
Bodmin may need to wake up to the real world where the support at ladies games is currently exploding and attracting whole families, something that sadly seldom happens in the mens game where gate receipts in local football struggles to even pay the officials in some cases we're told.

[Martin Eddy]

Surely as a club this is a backward step. All clubs need to get the community onside. The more people playing or involved in a club will mean more money coming into the club.

[Dave Deacon]

Or is it because they have tried to get the community onside without sufficient response that they have had to do this?

[Martin Eddy]

Don’t know the situation Dave but they did have problems with their 2nd team awhile back and not got a youth set up. Perhaps with the change of first team manager who brought so much success they would look at these areas. I know they have just engaged with a 2nd team. Cannot understand personally why they would not want a woman’s team, but who knows what goes on behind the scenes at clubs.

[TheolderIgetthebetterIwas]

3 hours ago, GaryHocking said:

Don’t disagree with your completely fair point Older, and I’m very familiar with the regular postponement of women’s games because a pitch is unplayable following the previous day’s men’s game but (1) in this case the women have - to all intents and purposes - been evicted to make way for a newly-adopted men’s reserve team, and (2) with only 7 league games plus a few cup games to schedule women’s teams can generally cope with the higher level of postponements that they face as a result of their playing day being a Sunday.

I am trying to be fair-minded, and should be pleased to hear another perspective on these events, but the incredibly short notice that’s been provided here feels, as I said earlier, both heartless and reckless. 

Hey bud, I don't disagree with your comments there.

Personally... I would have kept them. 

[We Two]

2 hours ago, Dave Deacon said:

Or is it because they have tried to get the community onside without sufficient response that they have had to do this?

The tone of the statement above doesn't suggest that many of Bodmins  community would feel encouraged to come onside if an agreement established with Bodmins womens team was terminated at such short notice leaving them with the option of using an already over subscribed facility.
Bodmin will hopefully at some stage realise that clubs at all levels of football, including the professional clubs, have learnt that the introduction of of a womens team in to their club is a positive move both financially and entertainment wise.
 

[Gary Hocking]

Don’t know if this link will work - so apologies if it doesn’t but techie stuff is not my strongpoint - today’s ITV news segment on the short notice “eviction” of the Bodmin Women’s team: 

https://fb.watch/eDZ2vswLxf/

[We Two]

Well done Gary the link to the ITV piece worked for us, the link that appears to have gone unnoticed is the link that Bodmin F.C. seems to have ignored by dismissing the potential help they crave that could have come from the 100 or so people afilliated to the Bodmin Ladies Club.
The original post stated that the ladies team had hoped to establish a closer relationship with Bodmin F.C., and that apart from paying a fee for use of the pitch, all proceeds over the bar went to the mens club.
Unforunately in the so called grassroot levels of football, the inclusion or even acceptance of womens teams has yet to be appreciated at the level that it currently is in the professional world.
The near 90,000 crowd in Wembley to watch the Euro Final must have opened a few sleepy eyes, and if the rumblings circulating around F.As  H.Q. at the moment are anything to go by, money is likely to start flowing in to Ladies Football as a result of Sunday's final.
Bodmins decision to host a mens Duchy League side who if affiliated to the club will presumably not have to pay for the use of the pitch or kit or player insurance, or referees, rather exposes the lack of volunteers to host a womens team, is a decision that was at best a doubtful one.
For the sake of clarity we are not Bodmin Ladies supporters, but we do support all levels of all genders in life and in football in particular to which we owe so much.

[Gary Hocking]

And 120 were there to watch Redruth Ladies vs Ludgvan Ladies in a pre-season friendly on Sunday - not far off the average attendance at the previous day’s Western League games. 

[Gary Hocking]

Fantastic news that Bodmin Women will be back playing at Priory Park next season. Congratulations to everyone at Bodmin FC on this decision. 

[stevieb]

Great news 

[stevieb]

On 24/06/2023 at 07:02, Keith B said:

Good to see you on the forum again stevie. Best wishes.

Cheers still about , support my local club Hayle , involved in my walking football team Penwith Nomads,  and of course the Arsenal,  

 

[stevieb]

6 hours ago, Keith B said:

Well done stevie, keep going sir and every good wish for the future to you and yours.

And yourself